


Frigophobia

by Orcinus234



Series: The Aftermath [1]
Category: Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015)
Genre: Drift is trying, Russell is not okay, Russell needs more screen time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-26
Updated: 2017-09-26
Packaged: 2019-01-05 13:35:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12190935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Orcinus234/pseuds/Orcinus234
Summary: Frigophobia is a phobia pertaining to the fear of becoming too cold.aka: Drift has to deal with the first consequence of the aftermath of Russell's Kidnapping.Sequel series to my "The One That Matters The Most" story.





	Frigophobia

**Author's Note:**

> At first I wanted to make the whole idea - kidnapping plus aftermath - one series, but I decided to make a series that details the after math of my last TRID fanfiction.

_Frigophobia is a phobia pertaining to the fear of becoming too cold._

That is what Fixit called it. Drift had made sure that he had the word and it’s definition memorized down to every letter, even in a few different Earth languages just to make sure that he never forgets it. This is a serious matter, so he must treat it seriously.

When the autobots returned to the scrapyard after fighting Steeljaw, who had somehow managed to escape sometime after Sideswipe took off with Russell, they had found the boy fast asleep in the passenger seat of Sideswipe’s vehicle form. Even with the Minicons being as small as they are, only a little taller than Russell, they couldn’t fit into Russell’s trailer to lay him down in his bed, so they settled with having him rest in Sideswipe’s vehicle form because the seat is close enough to a bed and if Russell needs a companion, Sideswipe is there.

Russell didn’t wake up for a long time, which caused most of the autobots to have a restless night. When Russell did wake up however, and tried to exit the car only to be hit with a cold breezy, he fell back into his seat and stayed in Sideswipe because, as the race car said, he had the heater on. Shortly after, he fell back into a deep, peaceful sleep. They know that Russell had been kept in a cold cell for a long time before Steeljaw took him just as Grimlock started to rear down every single door that stood in his way.

They had all seen the coat and beanie that Drift had seen Russell wearing before he was abducted. Using this knowledge, Bee told them that he heard about phobias, fears of different things, and that he thought he recalled hearing about a fear of the cold. Fixit looked it up with a small tablet that Denny had provided the minicon to look up human culture.

That is how they came to learn that Russell has Frigophobia. It was hard for them to believe that Russell, the bravest one on the team, even inspiring Optimus from time to time, had developed a fear that seemed almost trivial to Drift… almost. It was because of this new discovery that Drift suggested that Fixit look for any other fears that Russell might have obtained in his “unwanted experience”. They couldn’t say for sure that he was indeed afraid of all the phobias that Fixit encountered, or that Russell’s Frigophobia would last forever or if he will overcome it, but Optimus said that it would be best to assume, so that the autobots will be able to aid Russell during the aftershock of being kidnapped.

There was also the problem of Denny, Russell’s father. A few autobots thought it would be best not to tell the older Clay, because Denny might – would most definitely – have a panic attack and then there’s the possibility that he might send Russell back to his mother. However, Optimus, Drift and Bumble Bee had been insistent on owning up to their mistakes, not wanting to feel guilty for hiding the whole ordeal, and not wanting to have to pressure Russell to keep the secret when he’s obviously badly affected. Drift had said it was a disgrace and dishonorable to keep such a secret from the child’s father. It was Fixit who called Denny, and when the minicon returned to where the autobots were huddled around Sideswipe and Russell, he said that Denny was already on his way, abandoning his meeting with his friends and fellow scrapyard owners, giving the not so much of a lie of an excuse that his son was sick.

Denny has not yet returned. He called in saying that a thunderstorm had cut off the main road that he needs to travel on to get home, so he’ll be back in about three days due to delay, having to go back to his friends who agreed to let him stay until the roads cleared. So the autobots had to use their human hologram forms to close the scrapyard and ward off Hank when she came looking for Russell because he had been a no show for four days.

They had decided to take turns taking care of Russell. The kid has more layers to wear now and will walk around the scrapyard, but it became evident that he fell asleep better, and just felt more relaxed when he was near one of the bots. So every night, he sleeps in one of their vehicle forms, either in the back seat or the passenger seat. Optimus actually has a single person bed which Russell explained was common with some semi-trucks. He said that Optimus most likely scanned a truck meant for long distance transportation. The bed in Optimus didn’t have a mattress, so Russell provides one when it’s Optimus’s turn, taking it out when he wakes up. In truth, they don’t all have to switch, Sideswipe expressed that he is more than happy to provide for Russell every night, but all of the bots wanted to help out, so they switch, except for Grimlock, Fixit and Windblade. This is one of the times Grimlock doesn’t like the fact that he doesn’t have an actual vehicle form.

Tonight, it’s Drift’s turn, his first turn. Slipstream and Jetstorm are both excited, but they did express that they wish that it wasn’t because of the current circumstances. It’s just a few minutes before Russell arrives, he’s brushing his teeth and putting on heavy pajamas and bringing a pillow and blanket for extra comfort. Drift would be lying if he said he wasn’t nervous, not so much because there was going to be a human in his vehicle form for the first time ever, and the human who he had an unfavorable first encounter with, arguing almost immediately, rather he was, dare he say it, afraid he might not be able to provide the comfort that Russell needs. Most of his talks with the human child was them doing what Russell called the “Don’t Get Angry Game” and “Mental Chess”, where they practiced battlefield talk in order to equip them both with verbal attacks to get an enemy to reveal their plans and weaknesses, and to expertly and quickly do battle strategy for any kind of battle setting and opponent. Drift is aware that the others, including his two minicons, think that their “Games” are actually just them arguing, but they weren’t there when Russell had actually described what their talks were.

It might do the two of them good, to just enjoy peace and quiet together instead of practice, but Drift can’t help but feel so incredibly nervous. Thankfully, the minicons are too distracted by their own excitement to notice.

“It is quite odd to me,” he hears Slipstream say.

“What’s odd, Slipstream?” Jetstorm asks.

“Well, I was just thinking, Russell is simply going to be sleeping in Master Drift’s vehicle form, not doing much else, yet, we are so excited as if Russell is going to give us another one of his Earth Culture lessons?”

That is something that makes Drift thinks. He’s not blind nor deaf, he knows about the lectures that Russell gives the two minicons when they aren’t training. Drift himself has started listening to the lectures, obviously hiding where neither the minicons nor Russell can see him. He was pleasantly surprised, and still is surprised by Russell’s vast knowledge given his age, but Denny has explained that his wife, Russell’s mother, put Russell into a lot of college level classes already, starting at the age of 8, whatever “college classes” means, Drift figures that it must be one of the highest or the highest level of education on Earth. Drift had as well started to get excited whenever Russell said he would give a lecture, even Optimus and Bumble Bee were attending.

“Commander Russell!” the minicons say in union.

Drift turns to see where they are looking, following their line of sight to see a heavily dressed Russell walking sluggishly towards them. Even in the dim lighting, Drift can see the sure signs of fatigue on the boy’s face. Russell is always tired, he has been ever since his rescue. Russell says that Steeljaw gave him some sort of sleeping gas, ‘too much’ he had stated, but because Fixit couldn’t recognize what it is made up of, he decided it would be better to wait for it to fade, and fade it does… slowly.

“I thought I told you not to call me that,” he yawns, no malice in his voice.

“Our apologies,” Jetstorm starts.

“We are still learning to break the habit,” Slipstream finishes.

Russell gives the two a tired smile before looking up at Drift.

“Is it truly fine with you that I be the one who provides you a place to sleep tonight?” Drift askes, more to himself than to Russell, but he wants to make sure the boy doesn’t feel forced.

“Of course… unless you don’t want to. If you don’t, I’m not going to force you and neither will any of the others, it’s your call really.”

As if Drift was going to make Russell walk away. The Minicons had been hoping for Drift and themselves to give Russell a ride since day one. Besides, the idea of having Russell in his vehicle form isn’t unappealing, it used to be, but now Drift himself will silently admit that he had been waiting for an opportunity to dive the boy around, or in this case, give him a place to sleep peacefully.

“I would be honored to take care of you,” Drift bows, the minicons doing the same when he gives them a pointed look. Looking at Russell, he sees the boy try to bow in return – because Russell is an honorable person, Drift said so, so it is a fact – but the blanket and pillow in his arms make it a little difficult.

Drift holds out his arms and the minicons take it as their cue to transform and attach themselves to his forearms. Drift is about to speak once more to Russell, wanting to tell him something that he realizes he should have told the boy months ago, but before he can say anything, a strong cold breeze flows through the scrapyard, causing Russell to wince and hold the sleeping items close to his chest. Drift is in his vehicle form in an instant with the passenger side door open, Russell all but jumps into the seat, the door closing behind him. Drift had felt the breeze, but it did not affect him directly, cybertronians handle colder climate better than humans, but he wasn’t about to just stand there and make Russell suffer.

Drift recalls Bumble Bee saying not to overheat the car, set it low, but not too low because Russell’s blankets and pajamas will warm him up a lot as it is. At the time, Drift nodded his head and said he would makes sure that he does so, however, now that Russell is in the passenger seat, Drift realizes there was one question he forgot to ask the scout.

_“What is too low and what is too high of a temperature? Bumble Bee said to have it on a lower level, but he didn’t give me a specific temperature.”_

While Drift thought through his dilemma, Russell put his pillow down on the head of the seat once it was lowered back as far as it could go. He tucked his sock clad feet up onto the seat after taking off his slippers, and pulled his blanket up to his chin once he laid down. Drift is not one who regularly asks for help or advice, confident that he is quite capable of watching his own back, but he would feel guilty if Russell had his fitful sleep that a few of the autobots said he had due to nightmares _and_ because he’s cold. Bumble Bee had also mentioned the nightmare part because he had witnessed Russell having one, and told Drift to just wake him up if he was having one. Looking back to that too, Drift realizes that Bumble Bee didn’t tell him how to wake the boy up. Couldn’t honk, maybe shouldn’t, because that would wake up everyone and no one who had to deal with Russell’s nightmares had honked their turn.

“Is something wrong Drift?”

_“He noticed.”_

“I was wondering what temperature I should set the heater to,” Drift doesn’t dare mention the nightmares, he has to let the kid keep some of his pride.

“Oh… I guess, it doesn’t really matter. You don’t have to turn the heater on if you don’t want to,” Russell twists the hem of his blanket in his hand, Drift notices it.

_“It’s one thing to seek permission for sleeping in my vehicle form, that is my choice, but whether or not the heater is on is up to Russell. Steeljaw has broken his independence and pride… that needs to be fixed, and soon.”_

Drift realizes he needs to give Russell a response, the kid is to self-conscience as of late, so Drift has to give him more power over a situation. Should be easy.

“If you do want the heater on at any point, feel free to adjust it yourself,” He says as expressionless as he can. Russell would feel bad if Drift changed his personality just for his sake, he had told Drift so. “I won’t mind in the least.”

In the rearview mirror, Drift thinks he sees Russell smile, but a second later Russell is lightly snoring. It’s not loud or annoying, unlike Denny’s snoring, so it won’t keep Drift or his minicons awake. The minicon are already asleep as it is. The only reason Drift hasn’t fallen asleep just yet though, is because many thoughts and worries are bothering him. He feels awkward but doesn’t know why, because he doesn’t feel uncomfortable giving Russell a place to sleep, quite the opposite, but he’s afraid he’s not the right bot for the job. It’s because of Slipstream and Jetstorm, that Russell is spending the night with them, the others weren’t very good at hiding their winces when the two minicons said that they, along with Drift should have the next turn. They trusted the minicons, but they still believed that Russell and Drift didn’t get along. So tomorrow morning, when everyone gets together again, they’re going crowd Russell again to make sure the two didn’t argue about the minicons again. Then there’s the whole thing where Drift isn’t good at “child care”. Autobots automatically jump in to protect humans, but Drift’s instincts took a while until they decided that Russell was a priority. Of course he would do what he could to protect any human because of the honor that he has sworn upon as an autobot, but he was not fond of humans to begin with, especially Russell. But in time, Drift realized his resentment of the human boy was actually respect that his mind didn’t want to accept. When he did accept it, he then realized that while he knows how to rescue a human without being detected, he does not know how to actively care for a human, especially a human child as intelligent and courageous as Russell Clay… or when he used to be courageous. Now Drift has to guard the boy, keep him warm, and keep away nightmares for approximately 8 hours. Obviously Drift is supposed to rest himself, but feeling the weight of Russell’s body in the passenger seat is making all of the other little details of his vehicle form more… present to Drift, he didn’t realize he even had a car radio!

_“Bumble Bee said that I need the temperature on… and even though I gave Russell the option, I don’t think will act on it.”_

After a minute or so of debating, Drift turns up the temperature two notches and continues to try and lull himself to sleep. Still not working very well. Russell groans in his sleep and Drift sees, through his rearview mirror, that there is a bit of sweat on Russell’s brow. Drift turns the heater down one notch.

After some time, with Russell resting peacefully, Drift starts to fade himself.

_“This isn’t too bad. I wouldn’t mind doing this again.”_

**Author's Note:**

> I'm going to try and give every single autobot a chapter, but I don't know if I'm going to count this one for Slipstream and Jetstorm, or if I should give them their own.


End file.
